When Rachel Alexandra, (voted Horse of the Year for 2009 over Zenyatta) was challenged in deep stretch by the long-shot, Rachel looked Unrivaled Belle in the eye, and then seemed to say. . . "eh--you take it, I don't want to break a nail"

Owner Jess Jackson had made sure that everyone knew that Rachel was "at about 90%," which sent up big "uh-oh" balloons with this message: She might lose. After training at Churchill Downs, and putting in impressive, fast works, she failed to dominate in the La Troienne, finishing a lackadaisical second.

It seems that all of the glamor and allure of the red carpet and spotlight has changed her this year. TVG reported that Rachel was much more interested in the goings-on in the paddock than she had been in her other races. Today she was  looking around, reacting to her adoring fans and looking gorgeous.

I'm afraid that she can barely hold claim to "princess" beside Queen Zenyatta this year.

Check out the article [intlink id="pretty-doesnt-always-win" type="post"]"Pretty doesn't always win"[/intlink] about the Rachel vs Zenyatta phenomenon